


don't think about love too much

by homelywenchsociety



Series: the other a-team [1]
Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Banter, F/M, Journalism, Pining, Pre-Relationship, TV News, Unresolved Romantic Tension, alternate universe - the newsroom fusion, pop culture references, walk and talks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-21
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-04-05 10:19:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14042112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/homelywenchsociety/pseuds/homelywenchsociety
Summary: Jyn Erso, economist, rising finance journalist, and human disaster, has a date. Cassian Andor, E.P. and even bigger human disaster, has a mental breakdown.[AKA The Newsroom AU that just sorta happened]





	don't think about love too much

**Author's Note:**

> I basically wrote this as a fun break from some of my other WIPs because those were all getting sort of fraught and emotional and it was bumming me out, and I wanted to write some snappy dialogue to cleanse my palate. 6k words later, here we are: a Newsroom AU that I am ridiculously besotted with.
> 
> As is always the case with AUs I write, I tried to make this easy to understand even if you're not familiar with the source material. You definitely don't need to have seen the Newsroom to follow this, especially because it doesn't follow any episode's plot specifically. As for Newsroom fans, I just thought it'd be fun to play around with the idea of Jyn and Cassian as the Sloan and Don of this universe, and then ended up slotting everyone else in where they felt best. I have approximately a billion ideas of who every other character corresponds to and so on, so if you have questions, feel free to hit me up.
> 
> title comes from HAIM.

“Hey,” Jyn says, at 3:02 PM, just barely poking her head in through the cracked door to his office.

 

Startled, Cassian looks away from his computer monitor for the first time in what feels like a decade. Hours of mind-numbing research into tort reform must be getting to him because he immediately snaps, “Jyn, I swear to God, if you try to have a conversation with me about the housing crisis right now, I will quit my job and walk into the sea, like…” he trails off, lost. “There’s gotta be a movie that ends with someone walking into the sea? I didn’t just make that up, right?”

 

Jyn gives the matter more thought than it deserves. “The Awakening,” she finally suggests. “But that’s a book.”

 

“Is that the one where the guy turns into a bug because of Capitalism?”

 

“No, that’s The Metamorphosis. Not to be confused with Metamorphoses by Ovid.”

 

“What’s that one about?”

 

“Somebody turns into a tree, I think,” she says with a shrug. “That’s all I got.”

 

“Is that also because of Capitalism?” Cassian asks, stretching his arms out until he hears his shoulders pop.

 

“No, it’s because of the Patriarchy,” Jyn says without a hint of irony. “You went to school for journalism, right? Didn’t they make you read any actual books?” Before Cassian can answer, Jyn does that thing where she barrels onward like she already ascertained his answer using her terrifying genius brain and now she’s gotten bored of waiting for him to catch up. “Also, for a guy who doesn’t want to talk about the economy, you made sure to bring up Capitalism several times.”

 

“I know what you like.”

 

“Embarrassingly true,” Jyn says, looking over her shoulder at something happening in the bullpen. Cassian absolutely does not lose a second trying to imagine what she means.

 

“What did you want anyway?”

 

“Just your sparkling company, but you seem to be in a mood.”

 

“No, I’m not!”

 

“Okay…”

 

“I’m not,” he says, firmly. “Or if I am, then I’m just constantly in a mood.”

 

“That seems the most likely explanation,” Jyn says.

 

“Don’t you have a show to be prepping for?” He asks, hoping to get her off his case.

 

“Not that I’m aware of.”

 

“The four o’clock  _ Market Wrap-Up _ ?” Cassian prompts. Jyn continues looking at him blankly. “You know, that show you do every weekday at the same time?”

 

“Doesn’t ring a bell.”

 

“Jyn…”

 

“Fine. I might be hiding,” she says, looking away from him.

 

“Why is that?”

 

“I’m having an issue with Kay.”

 

“Aren’t you always having an issue with Kay?” Cassian asks, leaning back in his chair.

 

“Not because of me. I’m delightful,” Jyn says, giving him a look that dares him to contradict her. 

 

Cassian smiles, but doesn’t try to argue with her. “Sure.”

 

“He thinks the show’s gotten too political.”

 

“Which means, the head of the network thinks the show’s gotten too political,” Cassian supplies. Jyn nods slowly. “Kay’s just doing his job. He’s producing the show.”

 

“I knew you’d say that,” Jyn says, looking down at her feet, the picture of petulance. 

 

“He’s on your side, you know that.”

 

“He has a funny way of showing it!” Jyn laughs, suddenly, out of frustration. “One day, I’m not political enough, I’m sitting on the fence and protecting corporate interests. The next, I’m too political, just talk about the stocks and don’t confuse people by trying to make them think about where the money’s coming from. What does he want from me?”

 

“He wants to make the best show possible,” Cassian says, placating. “But it’s also his job to tell you what the network wants. He’s just being a moron and pretending it’s what he thinks too.”

 

Jyn snorts, still not meeting his eye. “Can I quote you on that?” She asks.

 

“Absolutely,” Cassian replies, and is gratified to see Jyn smile to herself. The pleasant moment stretches between them, and he starts to feel like he should say something, even if he wouldn’t mind staying like this for a while longer.

 

“Oh, I just remembered,” Jyn says, breaking the silence, and Cassian knows she’s faking it, that what she’s about to say is probably why she came to see him in the first place, but she has to pretend to bring it up casually. “I was going to ask you if I’m still covering for Draven next week.”

 

“Nope. He’ll be back from vacation to do next week’s shows.”

 

“Ah, good,” Jyn says, and she seems to be seconds away from slinking off.

 

“Why?”

 

“Why what?”

 

“Why do you want to know about next week?”

 

“I’m not allowed to know ahead of time if I’m filling in for him?” Jyn says, looking annoyed.

 

“Of course you are,” Cassian answers, with a shrug. “I was just wondering if you had a specific reason.”

 

“Oh, uh, sort of,” she says, looking away from him again. “This guy I know asked me out on a date, and we’re trying to set up a day and time next week, so I wanted to know if I was gonna have to do the ten o’clock.”

 

“A little presumptuous, don’t you think? Assuming the date will make it to ten o’clock,” he says, and immediately hates himself for it. 

 

Jyn’s face falls, but she almost manages to hide it with a shake of her head. “Don’t be an idiot,” she says, and that could really cover a variety of things.

 

“I’m sorry,” Cassian says, folding instantly. 

 

“I didn’t mean it like that.”

 

“I know you didn’t.”

 

“I’m sure it’ll be over by then, I just don’t want to come back to work afterwards,” Jyn continues, like he actually needs an explanation.

 

“I got it.”

 

“And besides, it’s not like I could actually leave. I’d have to do prep with you beforehand.”

 

“Jyn,” he says, trying to be gentle, “I don’t need you next week. Just pick a day and go on your date. It doesn’t have to be this complicated.”

 

“Okay,” she says, nodding like she’s trying to psych herself up. It’s easy to forget, given how well they get along, how terrible Jyn is with most people. This date thing must be really stressing her out. “Alright, see you later,” she adds, before disappearing out the door.

 

Cassian watches her go, because all the stupid doors in this stupid building are made of glass, and not because he’s feeling wistful or anything.

 

***

 

“Did Jyn tell you about this date she’s going on?”

 

“Ugh, fuck off, Cassian,” Leia says, glaring at the monitor in front of her and not even sparing him a glance.

 

“Woah, what was that for?” He asks, taking a step back for good measure.

 

“Please, let’s not do that thing where you’re super over-invested in Jyn’s love life and then when I confront you about it, you pretend it’s because you have a lot of professional respect for her and that’s the only reason. I’m tired of that. You’re tired of that. Let’s just skip it.”

 

“We can’t skip doing something we never do.” Leia fixes him with a withering stare at that, before turning back to what she was doing. “I’m serious, when have we ever done that?” He asks, knowing full well this could be how he finally gets Leia to snap and murder him.

 

“Every damn day, it feels like. Stop trying to use my privileged position as one of Jyn’s only female friends to get the scoop on your crush. You went to journalism school, for Christ’s sake. Put those skills to use!”

 

“First of all, why is everyone on me about my major today?” Cassian asks. “And secondly, Jyn is my friend. I want to make sure she’s okay. She seemed stressed about the date and I figured you could tell me if I should be worried or if it’s just normal, Jyn-can’t-function-as-a-human stuff?”

 

“What are we talking about?” Amilyn asks as she enters the room and hands Leia a coffee and a folder. She’s not Leia’s assistant, but she acts like it, on top of being the associate producer for the show. 

 

“Jyn’s date,” Cassian answers.

 

“Oh, with Leia’s brother?” 

 

“What,” Cassian asks flatly, before turning on Leia. “What the fuck, Leia?”

 

Leia is doing her best to look innocent, while she takes a sip of coffee. “I don’t know what you’re so upset about.”

 

“She said it was a friend of hers!”

 

“She and my brother  _ are _ friends,” Leia says, and she appears to be finished. Cassian waits her out, and she relents, adding, “Who I introduced with the express intention of getting them to go out with one another.”

 

“I repeat: what the fuck?”

 

“Luke’s really nice,” Amilyn puts in, trying to be helpful and keep the peace as always.

 

“Jyn isn’t.”

 

“Ooh, I’m gonna tell her you said that,” Leia warns.

 

“I’d say it to her face if she was here,” Cassian fires back. “In fact, I probably have said that to her before.”

 

“Your relationship perplexes me,” Leia says haughtily.

 

“That’s rich, coming from you.”

 

“And what exactly is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Your relationship with Han is the dictionary definition of dysfunctional.”

 

“Say that five times fast,” Amilyn says, under her breath, and Leia glares at her.

 

“Han and I don’t have a relationship. We’re professionals,” Leia says, and Cassian gives Amilyn a disbelieving look. She just shrugs in return.

 

“Hey, what are you saying about me?” Han’s voice comes out over the monitor. He’s behind the news desk in the studio and he’s looking at the camera.

 

“God, you’re so self-absorbed. No one’s talking about you,” Leia says into her mic.

 

“Your headset’s been on the entire time. I heard everything you just said.”

 

“Then why are you asking what we’re saying? What a fucking moron.”

 

“Hey, I heard that too,” Han says, offended.

 

“Yeah, genius, that’s why I said it out loud,” Leia says, and turns off Han’s mic on the control panel in front of her. On the screen, Han is still gesticulating angrily but they can’t hear him in the control room.

 

“This is exactly what I’m talking about, by the way,” Cassian says, gesturing at the monitor.

 

“At least Han and I were together and functional at one point,” Leia points out. “You’re too chicken shit to even make a move on Jyn.”

 

“It’s not like that with us, I’ve told you...”

 

“Spare me,” Leia says, holding up a hand to silence him. “All I know is that my brother is recently out of a relationship and he wants to get back into dating, and Jyn is also trying to get over someone, so it felt like a very safe arrangement for the two of them.”

 

“Who’s Jyn getting over? She hasn’t dated anyone in an eternity. Unless she’s still hung up on the guy from AIG,” Cassian says.

 

“I didn’t say she dated the person she’s trying to get over,” Leia says, quietly.

 

“Who is this? How don’t I know about it?” Cassian asks.

 

Amilyn groans and put her head in her hands. “You see what I have to deal with?” Leia asks her, gesturing at Cassian.

 

“What?” He asks.

 

“Do you want to end up like Han? Miserable and lonely?”

 

“Hey!” Han says, from the doorway.

 

“What are you doing in here?! Get back on set,” Leia snaps.

 

“You turned off my mic, I was trying to ask you about the story you put in C block. Also, I’m not miserable and lonely!”

 

“Yes, you are,” She replies, tartly. She continues, to Cassian, “He has one friend…”

 

“That’s not true!”

 

“He has no love life to speak of…”

 

“I do just fine!”

 

“His ratings are down…”

 

“No, they’re not,” Han scoffs. “Wait, are they?”

 

“Get back in the studio, and I’ll tell you,” Leia says.

 

“Make me, Princess!”

 

“You see what I mean?” Leia asks Cassian, sounding genuinely worried. “You want to end up like us?”

 

“You know I can hear you, right?” Han asks, petulantly.

 

“Think about it,” Leia says, as though Han hadn’t spoken. She waits for Cassian to nod begrudgingly in response before she turns back to Han. “Alright, let’s go, you overpaid video jockey,” she says, as she shoves him out of the door.

 

The sound of the two of them bickering echoes in the hallway as they head towards the studio. Amilyn gives Cassian’s shoulder a quick pat as she follows them out. Cassian allows himself another moment alone in the peace and quiet of the control room before he makes his way through the always-raucous bullpen.

 

***

 

“Erso! Let’s go!” 

 

It’s hours later, and a good portion of the staff is finally gone, since Han’s show has wrapped and the network is currently live in Washington. The only live show left for the night is Cassian’s, and since that airs at ten, very few staffers actually stay to see it through.

 

Jyn’s head snaps up from the computer screen she’d been looking at. She’s perched on the side of their web producer Bodhi’s desk, reading over his shoulder, but she looks away to glare at Cassian as he makes his way through the bullpen at a brisk pace.

 

“There’s no need to shout,” she says, as he reaches her. “Or alliterate, for that matter.”

 

“That was rhyming, not alliteration,” Cassian points out. “Two Ph.D.’s and they didn’t teach you that?”

 

Jyn presses her lips together to suppress a smile, and it does not distract him  _ at all _ . “You’d be amazed how infrequently alliteration comes up in macroeconomics,” she says, and he suddenly can’t come up with a single thing to say in response, his brain is too occupied with not kissing her at that moment.

 

“A real fault in the discipline,” he says, strained, after a minute of looking at her lips in a way that couldn’t possibly have been subtle.

 

“To be sure,” she says, and he’s still standing too close to her and watching her too intently. What did he even come here for in the first place?

 

“We’ve got a show to do,” he says, abruptly. He hasn’t stepped back or looked away, and he’s going to kill Leia for getting in his head like this. “Unless you’ve forgotten,” he adds, just to regain some semblance of equilibrium.

 

“Of course not,” Jyn says, looking up at him. “I just really wanted you to come in here, screeching like a maniac, and drag me away like one would in caveman days. A girl likes to be pursued, you know…”

 

He rolls his eyes, trying to seem put upon and irritated by her teasing, when in fact it’s made him warm all over. “Can I steal her from you, Bodhi?”

 

“Absolutely,” Bodhi answers, without looking away from his computer. It’s possible he’s avoiding looking at them, because apparently Cassian is embarrassing and obvious and everyone knows it. “She was just distracting me, anyway.”

 

“Hey, should I leave you two alone so you can talk about me more easily? Maybe arrange my dowry amongst yourselves, while you’re at it?” Jyn asks, crossing her arms over her chest. Again, not that Cassian is paying attention, or anything.

 

“Calm down,” Cassian snaps. Jyn arches a brow at him and says nothing.

 

“Maybe with you gone, I’ll actually finish my work and get to go home,” Bodhi says to Jyn and she scowls at him.

 

“I see how it is. Fine! I’ve got a show to do, anyway,” she says, before stalking off in the direction of the studio.

 

“Break a leg, then,” Bodhi calls after her, as Cassian rushes to catch up.

 

She can really move when she wants to, despite the fact that she’s wearing a tight dress and heels. When he finally reaches her, he has to fight the urge to put a hand on her lower back because, once again, Leia has ruined his life. He used to be able to get through the whole day without thinking about his feelings for Jyn at all really, but now, with this date of hers and his conversation with Leia on his mind, he’s lost all of his carefully built up self-control. 

 

“Dress?” He asks, giving her a once-over, because apparently he’s a teenager now and incapable of fully formed sentences around his crush. 

 

She gives him a suspicious look and doesn’t slow down. “I think the answer to that is obvious.”

 

He laughs. “You’re starting to sound like Kay.”

 

“Ugh, take that back.”

 

“Sorry.”

 

“The network wants me to dress a little differently,” she says. “Fewer suits, more dresses and skirts.”

 

“Why’s that?”

 

“They think it’ll soften me up. Make me seem less intense,” Jyn replies, and there’s a meaningful pause before she speaks again. “They think male viewers are intimidated by my intelligence.”

 

“And dresses will help with that?” Cassian asks, focusing on his disbelief rather than his annoyance.

 

“Apparently, if they’re attracted to me, they won’t care that I’m smarter than them,” Jyn says with a sad shrug.

 

“They’re not attracted to you already?” He asks, disbelief clear in his voice, before he can think better of it.

 

Jyn turns to look at him so quickly that he’s afraid she’ll give herself whiplash. They’ve just reached the door to the studio and she’s frozen in place, hand already outstretched to push it open. “Apparently not enough,” she says faintly.

 

“Idiots,” Cassian says, and pushes the door open himself, standing aside to let Jyn cross in front of him. 

 

“The viewers?” Jyn asks, recovering enough to sidle past him and make a beeline for the newsdesk. “Or the higher-ups?”

 

One of the interns, Finn, hands Cassian an article from the Associated Press that he gives his full attention for no other reason than to avoid looking at Jyn. “Both,” he says, to answer her question, while still glaring at the printout. “Alright, tell Baze to make the necessary changes to the A block,” he adds to Finn, who nods and scuttles off without a word.

 

“Something I need to know?” Jyn asks, already shuffling papers on the desk.

 

“It’ll be on the TelePrompTer.”

 

“Or you could tell me now,” she says, fixing him with an unimpressed look.

 

“One of our numbers for the campaign finance reform story was wrong. The script will have the updated number,” Cassian says, exasperated, as he leans on the desk so he’s across from her. “Just follow the script. It’s not that hard.”

 

“I just don’t like it when you decide what’s important to tell me and what’s not,” Jyn says, looking at him sharply.

 

He looks back at her, trying to decide what she wants to hear. There’s some weirdness in the air between them that he can’t quite identify. It’s not that they’re fighting, which happens often enough; it’s more like that feeling before someone goes away for a long time and you snipe at them to cause a fight so you won’t miss them as much. It’s an act Cassian used to pull as a child all the time, with his mother before she went on business trips or with his older cousins who got to go to camp during the summers while he had to stay home. He’d like to think it’s not still a thing he does—and there’s also the fact that neither he nor Jyn are going anywhere, at least as far as he knows—but this entire day has left him feeling decidedly off-kilter.

 

He’s about to tell her—well, he doesn’t know what yet. In his head, he’s thinking, it’s just a stupid number, of course it’s not important. But that just seems like a good way to start the fight she seems to be trying to instigate. Luckily, he’s spared from having to say anything by Poe’s dramatic entrance into the studio.

 

“Everyone on Twitter is very excited for your big, final show, Jyn,” he says as he strides up to the desk.

 

“I’m sure the excitement less about the show itself and more about it being my last day covering for Draven,” Jyn replies, but she’s smiling wryly.

 

“Don’t sell yourself short,” Poe admonishes, waving his phone in her direction. “You’re a rising star.”

 

“Yeah, yeah.”

 

“I mean it. I have the tweets to back it up.”

 

“I’m sure there’s one about how I should do something different with my hair, too,” Jyn says, rolling her eyes. “Oh, and I saw one this morning that said three times a day is too many to see me on TV.”

 

“Checking your own mentions now, are we? I’m gonna be out of a job if you keep that up.”

 

“You ought to be out of a job,” Cassian grumbles.

 

“Ignore him,” Jyn says.

 

“I always do,” Poe says, cheerfully. “If it weren’t for me, you all wouldn’t have that scrolling ticker of live Twitter reactions for your show.”

 

“I didn’t want that stupid thing in the first place,” Cassian says, glaring over his shoulder at Poe. “They only made us use it because Leia wouldn’t have it on her show.”

 

“She said it was undignified for the eight o’clock hour,” Poe interjects, because he can’t bear to have a word said against Leia, even when she’s criticizing his work.

 

“And what are we? Access Hollywood?” Cassian asks. Behind him, Jyn puts her head in her hands. “We’re a serious news program, even if we do air at ten!”

 

“Tell it to the network, man,” Poe says, holding his hands up in surrender. “I gotta go. Good luck out there,” he adds to Jyn, who gives him a weak smile in return.

 

“Stop giving Poe a hard time,” She says, smacking Cassian lightly on the wrist.

 

“Poe deserves a hard time,” Cassian responds bitterly. “His job is pointless, and he likes Leia better than me.”

 

Jyn’s mouth twists into a smile. “His job is not pointless, you just hate the Internet. That doesn’t mean everyone else does.” She ignores the part about Poe loving Leia, because there’s no arguing with that.

 

“Social media producer is not a real job.”

 

“According to Bodhi, it is. You remember Bodhi, right? Our beloved and revered web producer who hired Poe?” Jyn prompts him, like he’s a child.

 

“On Leia’s recommendation. Because she knew his parents or something. Nepotism at its finest!”

 

Jyn shakes her head at him. “You’re just mad because people ask him to translate Spanish for them now, instead of you.”

 

“Everyone in this building should know how to speak Spanish, Jyn,” he shouts. “It should be a requirement, given—”

 

“Why are you mad at Leia?” Jyn asks suddenly.

 

“I—” Cassian pauses to acclimate himself to the subject change. “You know, I hate it when you do that.”

 

“Do what?”

 

“Change topics on me mid-sentence, because you’re bored of listening to me,” he says.

 

“That’s not what I do,” Jyn says, looking surprised.

 

“Yes, it is. You just did it.”

 

“No, I mean, that’s not why I do it. It’s not because I’m bored.”

 

“Am I so predictable that you already know the argument I’m going to make? Is that it?”

 

“No,” Jyn says, blinking at him in astonishment. “We have a limited amount of time, I had a time sensitive question, and I know you well enough to know when we’ve started on a topic you’re passionate about. I’d be glad to hear your thoughts about what languages you feel everyone should speak when we have time to discuss it in depth.”

 

Cassian leans back a little bit, so he can stare at her more fully. “Oh,” he says, overwhelmed. “Well, you could have just said that.”

 

“I just did.”

 

“Right.”

 

“Why are you mad at Leia?”

 

Cassian sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “I’m not,” he says, mostly into his palm.

 

“You’re annoyed with Poe, which usually means you’re annoyed with Leia and you’ve decided to take it out on someone else because she’s either not around or impervious to your annoyance,” Jyn says.

 

“When did you become so good at reading people?” He asks, a little to deflect but mostly because he’s impressed.

 

“I’m not,” Jyn says, with a shrug. “I’m just good at reading you. And you still haven’t answered my question.”

 

“I did. I told you I’m not upset with Leia.”

 

“You weren’t very convincing.”

 

“Why didn’t you tell me your date was with Leia’s brother?” Cassian asks, looking at the desk beneath his arms and not at Jyn. When he doesn’t get a response, he looks up and the startled expression on her face would be funny if he weren’t so wound up about all of this. “You said it was a friend of yours,” he prompts.

 

“I thought it sounded less embarrassing,” Jyn says quietly. Cassian leans closer over the desk, so that only he can hear her. “I didn’t want to admit that Leia set the whole thing up.”

 

“You can tell me things,” he says, looking at his hands. “I’m not going to judge you.” Jyn snorts at that, and he corrects himself. “Okay, so I probably will judge you. But I’ll feel bad about it afterwards. And then I’ll apologize profusely, which I know you enjoy.”

 

“It’s my reason for living,” Jyn says dryly, which makes him laugh. He covers her hands with one of his, trying for comforting, but he lingers too long. “Why did you get mad at Leia for setting me up with her brother?” she asks, looking at their joined hands.

 

“I didn’t,” Cassian answers, lying automatically. “You just mentioned Leia, and it reminded me of...the conversation she and I had. I’m not mad at anyone.” It sounds fake to his own ears, but he managed to get through it well enough.

 

Jyn gives him a searching look, like she doesn’t believe him either. He holds very still, waiting her out and hoping she doesn’t see the truth on his face somehow. Eventually, she nods and just says, “Right.”

 

“Five minutes,” Chirrut calls from somewhere over Cassian’s shoulder, but he doesn’t turn.

 

Jyn gives a smile in the direction of the camera and thanks him, her professional newscaster persona settling around her features. Cassian pats her hand once more for good luck, and gets a smile of his own in return, this one a little more weary and sardonic than the one she gave to Chirrut.

 

“You’re gonna be great,” he says, as he pushes himself up off the desk. He’s already on his way out of the studio when he adds, “You always are.”

 

***

 

Jyn’s date isn’t until Wednesday of the next week, so the six days between Cassian finding out about it and it actually happening are pretty stressful for him. He tries to avoid any conversations about it with Jyn, because he knows it will somehow end in them arguing, most likely over something childish he won’t be able to stop himself from saying. Most of the staff, being excellent reporters and, thus, notorious busybodies, have heard some version of Cassian and Leia’s argument as part of the office gossip, and are giving him a wide berth to avoid provoking his ire. His relationship with Leia remains contentious, which isn’t saying much; that’s basically Leia’s default status in most of her relationships. She’s a contentious person. That, at least, is nothing new.

 

He distracts himself with work, thankful for a busy news week and for the fact that Draven is back from vacation, which means that he’s recharged and full of ideas for Cassian on how they can improve the show. Most of these ideas will never make it past the head of the news division, but Cassian gives them more attention than they deserve anyway, because he’ll take anything that keeps him from getting involved in Jyn’s love life. Between his increased work ethic and the fact that Jyn is no longer subbing in for Draven, Cassian actually sees very little of her that week leading up to her date. 

 

When Wednesday actually rolls around, he hasn’t precisely forgotten about it, but he has given himself enough to do that he can’t actually afford to lose time obsessing over it. He knows, from the office gossip, what’s happening—she’s going out for drinks with Leia’s brother once she’s wrapped her shows for the day—and when—she’ll be leaving around 6 and going straight from the office to meet him—so he makes sure that he’s nowhere near the bullpen at the time she plans to head out. That way, he can’t say anything stupid to her before she goes, or see how she looks for the date. It’s all very carefully plotted, and goes exactly according to plan— almost.

 

Cassian walks into his office at 9:13 P.M.—when he’s supposed to be in the clear—to find Jyn sitting serenely in one of the chairs in front of his desk. He nearly jumps out of his skin, swearing loudly and trying not to drop the stack of papers he’s carrying. “What are you doing in here?” He asks, irritably, while he tries to collect himself.

 

Jyn is looking at him, wide-eyed and astonished, in a way that reminds him distinctly of a Disney princess. “Did I startle you?” She asks, innocently but not in a way that feels feigned.

 

He wants to point out that she’s sitting silently in his office with the lights off, which is as sure fire a way to startle someone as he can think of, not even touching the fact that she’s not supposed to be in the building right now. But it’s that last fact that gives him pause, and makes him decide against snapping at her, because it suddenly occurs to him to be worried about why she’s back here when she’s meant to be on her date.

 

“It’s fine,” he says, flipping on the lights. It’s not really an answer to her question, but he’s a little distracted taking her in. There’s no visible signs of distress; she doesn’t look like she’s been crying or gotten into a fistfight or anything like that. He didn’t see her earlier, but if he had to guess, she probably looks the same as when she left and, unfortunately for him, she looks good. 

 

She’s wearing a black dress that looks like something she’d wear on air, but she’s also done that magical girl thing where she’s changed her hair and makeup in such a way that she clearly looks like she’s been on a date. Cassian has seen her dressed nicely for her broadcasts, and he’s seen her done up for events and awards shows, so seeing her dressed for drinks shouldn’t have any effect on him. Still, the thought occurs to him that this is what she looks like for a date, this is what she chose to wear when she wanted to impress someone. If it didn’t work on Leia’s brother, he’s an idiot, because it’s working on Cassian. He’s impressed.

 

Then again, he’s already in love with her. He’s seen her with her face scrubbed clean of makeup, heading out for the day in plain clothes with her hair pulled back messily and hidden under a baseball cap with the network logo on it, and felt the exact same way as he does now, looking at her all dressed up. So, maybe his opinion doesn’t count for much. 

 

“What are you doing here?” He asks, tossing the papers on his desk, trying to seem casual.

 

“I work here,” she says, as if he’s a moron. Which, he is, but not for the reasons she thinks.

 

“Do we share an office now and no one told me?” Cassian asks, leaning against the side of his desk. “Because, honestly, I wouldn’t put that past Mon.”

 

“No, this is still just your office,” Jyn replies, rolling her eyes but looking amused nonetheless. “Though, why you get your own office and I still have to share with Sefla is beyond me.”

 

“Taidu is in Washington most of the time anyway, so you barely have to share with him,” Cassian points out. Jyn opens her mouth to object, so he continues quickly before she can speak. “You’re really going to make me ask, aren’t you?”

 

“Make you ask what?”

 

“That’s a yes, then,” Cassian says, exasperated. Jyn just looks back at him expectantly. “How was your date?” He finally asks.

 

“It was...fine.”

 

“Once more, like you really mean it.”

 

Jyn sighs and looks up at the ceiling. “Really, it  _ was _ fine. It’s just not—there’s not going to be a second date,” she admits, frustration plain in her voice.

 

“I thought this guy was supposed to be nice.”

 

“Oh, it’s not that. Luke’s really nice. He’s funny, he’s got a good job, he’s...great.”

 

“So what’s the matter?” Cassian asks, frowning. 

 

“He’s not single,” Jyn says with a bitter smile.

 

“Wait, what?! Leia said he was looking to start dating again,” Cassian says, and he’s mortified to hear how his voice rises in indignation. 

 

Jyn must hear it too, because her eyes go a little wide in response. “How much did she tell you?” she asks, sounding horrified. 

 

“Just...that,” he says, adopting a more even tone, like he’s not invested at all.

 

“I hate this place! Everyone’s in each other’s business all the time,” Jyn grumbles, and Cassian is inclined to agree. 

 

When she makes no move to continue, Cassian says, “So, Luke isn’t single…” to prompt her.

 

“Oh, right,” Jyn says, shaking her head. “He went through a breakup a while ago, and Leia’s apparently been worried about him. But he’s dating some new guy, a coal lobbyist in D.C. that he’s crazy about, and he didn’t know how to tell her. Apparently, this guy is some friend of Han’s and Luke was worried Leia wouldn’t approve, so he told her he wanted to get back into the dating game, just to, like, ease her into the idea, I guess? So that maybe she’d eventually be okay with his new boyfriend. But, Leia being Leia, she decided her brother needed her to meddle in his love life, and so she set me up with him, mostly because she wants Luke to move back to New York and she thought I could entice him to do so.”

 

“ _ Entice _ him?”

 

“Her word, not mine.”

 

“This is some real Shakespearean, comedy-of-errors shit,” Cassian says, running a hand through his hair.

 

“All that’s missing is the part where someone stabs me through a curtain,” Jyn agrees.

 

“That’s from Hamlet, Jyn,” he says. At her blank look, he adds, “Famously a tragedy.”

 

“Once again, I studied economics,” she says, defensively.

 

“Yeah, but you’ve also probably been to the movies. You’ve never seen an adaptation of Hamlet?” When she shakes her head, he asks, “Not even ‘The Lion King’?”

 

“Don’t be ridiculous, Cassian. Why would those lions have curtains?”

 

“Forget it,” Cassian says, covering his face with his hands. She knows Kafka and Ovid, but has never seen The Lion King. Go figure. “So, the date was a bust, then?” he asks, trying to get them back on track while also keeping himself from sounding too hopeful.

 

“Well, I had a couple hours of good conversation with an interesting guy, who even insisted on paying for my drinks. So I’ve definitely had worse dates,” Jyn replies, thoughtfully. “But it’s not going anywhere, if that’s what you’re asking.”

 

Cassian doesn’t think Jyn is actually artful enough, or even aware of his feelings enough, to know that she’s making him suffer, but he’s suffering nonetheless. By all rights, her account of the evening should make him feel relieved. She’s already admitted that she won’t be seeing this guy again, so he has nothing to worry about there, and she didn’t actually have a bad time, so he doesn’t have to feel bad for her either.

 

Except that he can see the wistful sadness in her expression and he’s consumed with guilt, not only for his relief at her date not working out, but because he can’t find it in himself to make a move on her himself. The words catch in his throat even now, when she’s right there, talking to him about her love life, and there’s no one else to disturb them. Still, it doesn’t feel like the right time, to swoop in when she’s disappointed and lonely, to offer himself up like a consolation prize. She could have somebody interesting, who’s as smart as she is, who makes twice as much as he does, who actually knows the first thing about being a good boyfriend in a committed relationship. She deserves better than him, he thinks, and he’s either got to get over that or get over her, but he’s sure as hell not going to burn their friendship like the proverbial bridge in order to get there.

 

“Why did you come here?” He asks, suddenly, when he realizes they’ve been sitting in silence for a few minutes.

 

“I just,” Jyn starts to say, and then huffs, like she’s frustrated with herself. “I didn’t want to go home, right away.” A pause, then, “I wanted to talk to you.”

 

“I have to do the show,” Cassian says, unable to truly process what she’s just said, hoping he sounds apologetic. He looks at his watch, and realizes he’s late for his pre-show briefing with Draven.

 

“Right, I know,” Jyn says, shaking her head like she’s embarrassed with herself. “I’ll—”

 

“Come with me,” he interrupts, unable to stop himself. She looks at him, puzzled. “You can hang out in the control room, tell me everything I’m doing wrong. You love doing that.” He ignores the pleading tone that’s crept into his voice. 

 

“I should just go,” she says, already standing up and  reaching for her coat on the chair.

 

“Don’t,” Cassian says, reaching out to grab her lightly by the elbow. She pauses, looks at his hand and then at him. “I want you to stay,” he adds, firmly. “If you want to, that is.”

 

Jyn still looking at him, searching his face, as if she’s waiting for a punchline. He doesn’t let go of her arm, just to be safe, even gives it a squeeze to reassure her. It takes a minute, but she drops her coat back on the chair, never looking away from him.

 

“Alright,” she says, straightening up.

 

He lets go of her arm. “Alright?” He asks, in a rush of relief.

 

Jyn nods, folding her hands in front of her in a surprisingly prim gesture. “Ready when you are,” she says, and, maybe Cassian is reading too much into it, but the way she’s looking at him, he doesn’t think she’s just talking about tonight.

  
  
  



End file.
